Unique Aviation and Transport focussed legal opportunity

Unique Aviation and Transport focussed legal opportunity (2+ years PAE) Sydney

Norton White is a recognised leader in aerospace and transport law in Australia which offers the quality of work of a top-tier firm. The firm is looking for a motivated and organised lawyer to join its Sydney office. The firm acts for domestic and international airlines and logistics companies and is involved in many of the significant legal transactions in the transport sector in Australia and internationally.

Prior transport law experience is not required and this is an opportunity to gain a practice specialisation that will help you stand out from the crowd.

About the role

The firm is seeking a commercial lawyer with at least 2 years PAE to join our Sydney office in a 1.0 FTE role.

In this role, you will work on a wide variety of commercial transactions for international and domestic Australian airlines, aircraft services providers, tourism operators, private jet owners, aviation maintenance organisations, flying schools and other companies in the aviation and for logistics companies and transport operators.

You would normally have to work for a large international law firm to get exposure to the quality of legal work for the transport sector.

The work will include:

• Advising on the buying, selling, financing and leasing of commercial airline aircraft (including Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and DeHavilland aircraft), private jets (including Pilatus, Embraer, Gulfstream, Dassault, Bombardier aircraft), helicopters (including Agusta/Leonardo, Bells, Eurocopter/Airbus, Boeing/Sikorsky), drones, ships and other transport equipment in Australia, Asia Pacific, Middle East and in other jurisdictions worldwide
• Drafting charter and other air service agreements for use of aircraft by both domestic Australian airlines and international airlines/aircraft operators

• Acting on M&A transactions for businesses with a transport focus

• Providing general corporate and commercial advice in the transport industry for Australian and foreign clients

• Negotiating airport access and pricing agreements
• Giving advice on general corporate matters such as shareholders' agreements, joint ventures, and the Corporations Act, including setting up corporate structures for aircraft fractional ownership matters
• Drafting supply chain and service agreements

You may also get the opportunity to work on transport related regulatory and litigation matters, if that is your interest.

Depending on your level of experience, you will have the freedom to maintain your autonomy while being well supported by the commercial Partners. You will have the opportunity to work with highly regarded lawyers including those ranked as the "Best of the Best" and Band 1 in the world.

Competitive salary and conditions will apply as well as opportunities for career advancement.

The benefits of working for Norton White also include attendance at industry events and client-facing functions which would allow one to build a profile within the firm and externally. The transport industry is never dull, and you will be given the opportunity to meet and get to know clients you work with day-to-day be it at Norton White's annual Wine-Tasting function or another function.

About Us

Norton White is a commercial law firm specialising in aviation and transport with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Dubai. We are acknowledged as leaders in the practice of aviation, transport and maritime law internationally and in Australia.

We offer a dynamic alternative to international and national law firms. By focusing on our specialised field, we are able to work on legal matters of a high quality ordinarily only conducted by large law firms and you would get to assist across a full range of matters.

Norton White offers the opportunity to do incredibly interesting work with great people and industry professionals.

About You

The successful applicant will ideally have:

• 2 years PQE or more commercial experience post admission with a top-tier firm or has worked in-house
• exceptional attention to detail
• excellent academics
• highly motivated, organised and able to work with a level of autonomy

AvGeeks are highly recommended to apply – as are people interested in ships/vessels and transport in general.  Prior experience in transport law is not required.

Next steps

If you believe you have the skills and experience required to successfully fill this role, please forward your CV to Tyarne Parker at

Please note, only successful candidates will be contacted to proceed to the next stage.